Dish of the Week: Graffiato’s Fettuccine Alfredo

You may have seen Graffiato while gallivanting around Chinatown or attending a hockey game at the Verizon Center. It’s a small, hip restaurant with scattered drawings on the wall, an industrial style and a large brick pizza oven in the back.

While Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in the District, Graffiato stands out with its modern twists on Italian classics. Their extensive menu is absolutely drool-worthy with dishes like the classic spaghetti filled with juicy tomatoes ($14), the creamy burrata salad with garlicky arugula pesto ($14) and the satisfying Countryman pizza topped with rich black truffles and a soft egg ($19).

One of the best dishes at Graffiato, the epitome of a classic Italian dish, is the fettuccine alfredo ($15). While the alfredo sauce is what you’d expect – with potent garlic, rich heavy cream, soft butter, salty parmesan cheese and leafy parsley – Graffiato adds something extra: The fettuccine alfredo is filled with crunchy broccolini, which gives you your veggie serving for the day and a bit of freshness too. There are also morsels of flavorful chicken mixed in, and it’s topped with deliciously rich pecorino cheese. The best part of this dish is its cheesiness.

When you first twirl your fork into this dish and take a taste, you will be transported to Rome. Every bite of this dish is delightfully creamy and full of a combination of sensations and tastes. If this dish is overwhelming your taste buds, you can sample one of Graffiato’s housemade sodas ($6), which are all equally sweet and fizzy.

Sometimes Graffiato’s dishes can be a bit pricy, but never fear: On Sundays, the restaurant offers all of their pastas for only $10.

We have all been forced to down a family member’s greasy and lackluster casserole with a smile on our face. But this Thanksgiving, you can rethink the staple and enjoy a dish with a crunch that goes unmatched.